88 HISTORY OF 



volcanoes in Europe, confined to a province, but 

 is heard at a hundred and fifty miles distance.* 

 " An aperture was made in the summit of this 

 immense mountain ; and three more about equal 

 heights, near the middle of its declivity, which 

 was at that time buried under prodigious masses 

 of snow. The ignited substances ejected on that 

 occasion, mixed with a prodigious quantity of 

 ice and snow, melting amidst the flames, were 

 carried down with such astonishing rapidity, that 

 in an instant the valley from Callo to Latacunga 

 was overflowed ; and besides its ravages in bear- 

 ing down the houses of the Indians, and other 

 poor inhabitants, great numbers of people lost 

 their lives. The river of Latacunga was the 

 channel of this terrible flood ; till, being too 

 small for receiving such a prodigious current, 

 it overflowed the adjacent country, like a vast 

 lake, near the town, and carried away all the 

 buildings within its reach. The inhabitants re- 

 tired to a spot of higher ground behind the 

 town, of which those parts which stood within 

 the limits of the current were totally destroyed. 

 The dread of still greater devastations did not 

 subside for three days; during which the vol- 

 cano ejected cinders, while torrents of melted ice 

 and snow poured down its sides. The eruption 

 lasted several days, and was accompanied with 

 terrible roarings of the wind, rushing through the 

 volcano, still louder than the former rumblings in 

 its bowels. At last all was quiet, neither fire nor 



* Ulloa, vol. i. p. 442. 



